Spring Carnival |
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Rosemary & Cumin Savoury Popcorn
Bacon-rolled Sausage Sticks
Potato, Ham & Asparagus Lattice Pie
Strawberry & Coconut Ice Cupcakes
Little Lemonade Scones with Lemon Curd & Cream
Nutty Chocolate Pretzels
Salami, Cheese & Pineapple Double-deckers
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Rosemary & Cumin Savoury Popcorn
This is a fun, low-fat snack that is really quick to make using a packet of microwave popping corn. The flavoured salt can be made 2-3 days ahead.
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1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
rosemary leaves
3 cups hot, freshly popped corn
Spray olive oil |
Place salt, seeds and rosemary in a mortar and pestle or mini food processor and grind to crack seeds and combine ingredients into a flavoursome salt.
Toss hot popped corn with a spray of oil and a sprinkle of the flavoured salt to taste, and serve.
Makes 3 cups
Bacon-rolled Sausage Sticks
We used Beehive shaved streaky bacon, which is thinner than regular bacon, to make these hot-dog sticks but regular streaky bacon could be used instead.
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16 wooden ice-block sticks
16 kransky sausages
16 slices streaky bacon |
Preheat oven to 180°C. Insert an ice-block stick into each sausage then wrap each one in a slice of bacon. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and bake 8-10 minutes until hot and bacon is crispy and cooked.
Serve with tomato sauce, American mustard or sweet chilli mayo.
Makes 16
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Make Ahead
Up to 3 days ahead:
Make savoury salt for popcorn.
Bake asparagus lattice pie. Dip pretzels.
Day before:
Prepare sausage sticks for baking.
Prepare sandwich fillings.
Few hours ahead:
Bake scones. Make cupcakes.
Assemble sandwiches.
Close to serving:
Pop corn and toss with savoury salt.
Bake sausage sticks.
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Potato, Ham and Asparagus Lattice Pie
Serve this satisfying pie warm or cold with a salad and chutney.
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2 sheets savoury short pastry
1 tablespoon oil
1 red onion, diced
6 eggs
1 cup cream
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked diced potato
2 ham steaks, diced
½ cup grated tasty cheese
2 bunches asparagus, blanched |
Preheat oven to 175°C fan bake (or 200°C regular bake). Line a baking tin about 22cm x 30cm with pastry sheets, joining and trimming them so they fit neatly.
Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onion until softened (or microwave in a covered bowl for 2 minutes to soften, then drain off excess liquid).
Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, mustard and salt.
Place potato, ham and onion in pastry-lined tin. Pour egg mixture over and sprinkle with cheese. Arrange asparagus in a lattice pattern on top, cutting some in half and joining neatly.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and puffed (check that the centre is set). Pie will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Serves 8 or makes at least 12 little squares
Strawberry and Coconut Ice Cupcakes
These gorgeous little cakes are best eaten on the day they are made, although they will still be delicious a day or two later.
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125g butter, softened
1½ cups self-raising flour
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup strawberry jam
Frosting:
100g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons hot water
1 cup thread coconut
Pink candyfloss or mini marshmallows
to decorate |
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases.
Place butter, flour, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Using electric beaters, mix slowly for 1-2 minutes until the ingredients are incorporated then beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth.
Spoon 1 large tablespoon of mixture into each paper case, top with 1 teaspoon jam then cover with remaining mixture.
Bake 15-20 minutes until cupcakes are puffed and golden. Cool completely before topping with frosting and decorating with floss or marshmallows.
Frosting: Beat butter and 1 cup icing sugar until creamy. Add remaining 1 cup icing sugar and a little hot water and beat until mixture is creamy but holding its shape. Fold in coconut. (Before folding in the coconut, the mixture can be tinted pink with food colouring – in which case the decoration is optional.) Makes 12
Little Lemonade Scones with Lemon Curd and Cream
Lemonade scones are beautifully soft and light, but like all scones they are always nicest on the day they are baked.
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4 cups self-raising flour
50g cold butter
355ml can lemonade (eg Sprite)
½ cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Plain flour for dusting
Cream and lemon curd to serve
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Preheat oven to 220°C. Sift flour into a large bowl, grate over butter then rub in using fingertips. Pour in lemonade, cream and vanilla and stir with a knife until a dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently pat out to about 2cm thick.
Cut out small circles using a well-floured cookie cutter. Place on a lined baking tray and bake 8-10 minutes until puffed and just coloured.
Take tray from oven and cover scones with a clean tea towel while cooling to help keep them soft.
When cool, split and dollop on whipped cream and lemon curd.
Makes about 25 x 5cm round scones.
View the lemon curd recipe.
Nutty Chocolate Pretzels
This combination of salted pretzel and sweet chocolate makes a moreish treat that’s fun for kids to prepare and eat.
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30 pretzel sticks
100g dark chocolate, melted
½ cup chopped pistachios
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Dip about two-thirds of each pretzel stick into chocolate and roll in pistachios. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and chill until set, about 5 minutes. Dipped pretzels will keep in an airtight container for a few days.
Makes 30
Salami, Cheese and Pineapple Double-deckers
Well-constructed double-decker or club sandwiches make a handsome snack and are tastier than regular sarnies and easier to deal with than dagwoods. It’s thought they were so named because of their popularity at country clubs. This version is an absolute winner, old chap.
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Filling 1:
4 eggs, hard-boiled
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Alfalfa sprouts
Filling 2:
125g cream cheese, softened
¼ cup drained crushed pineapple
½ cup grated tasty cheese
12 slices salami or 6 slices ham
Sandwiches:
18 slices white sandwich bread
About 50g butter, softened
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Make the two filling mixtures first. Mash together eggs and mayonnaise and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Mash together cream cheese and pineapple and stir in grated cheese. Cover and chill. (Both fillings can be made a day ahead.)
Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Lay out 6 slices, butter side up, on a bench and spread with egg mixture. Top with a layer of sprouts then a second slice of bread, butter
side down.
Spread with pineapple cream cheese and cover with ham or salami. Top with final bread slice, butter side down. (Sandwiches can be made a few hours ahead and kept in the fridge, well covered to stop them drying out.) Use a serrated knife to cut off crusts and cut sandwiches in half. Wrap a collar of baking paper around each and tie with string if desired. Makes 12 sandwiches.
Stockists
Fabric (including on cushions), plates, cups, bowls, suitcase and popcorn containers from
Nelson and Co, (09) 376 0582;
Girls’ clothing from KAF by Kristen Fordham, (09) 360 8131;
Flowers from the National Flower Promotion Group, (09) 573 2309;
Glass jars from Milly’s, 0800 200 123;
Ribbon from Spotlight, stores nationwide;
Other items stylist’s own.
Thank you to Margaret and Peter Ross for the use of their garden and the dahlias picked from it. Thank you also to our models – Chloe, 10, and Georgia, 5 – and to Sue Ormonde for lending us her miniature horse Briggs.
Story: Jo Wilcox
Photographs: Manja Wachsmuth
Stylist: Claudia Kozub
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